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Cambridge, MA Motorcycle Accidents Attorney
If another driver hit you on a motorcycle in Cambridge, you can claim pain and suffering without first clearing the $2,000 medical-bill threshold, because motorcycle policies give the rider no PIP (Murphy v. Bohn, 377 Mass. 544 (1979)), and riding without a helmet is evidence of negligence, not a bar to recovery (M.G.L. c. 231, sec. 85).
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The Cambridge answer in plain language
Massachusetts motorcycle policies do not provide PIP to the rider, so under Murphy v. Bohn, 377 Mass. 544 (1979), a Massachusetts rider injured by another driver does not need to clear the $2,000 medical-bill tort threshold to bring a claim for pain and suffering. Recoverable damages include medical expenses, lost income, and pain and suffering. Massachusetts requires helmets for every rider and passenger under M.G.L. c. 90, sec. 7; under M.G.L. c. 231, sec. 85 a violation is evidence of negligence rather than a bar to recovery. Jim Glaser Law evaluates Massachusetts motorcycle matters at no cost. Motorcycle matters are accepted on contingency.
The full Massachusetts rules, statutes and typical timeline are on the motorcycle accidents page; this page covers what is specific to Cambridge.
What the state's crash records show for Cambridge
Massachusetts publishes every reported crash through the MassDOT IMPACT open data system. Across 2022 to 2024, Cambridge recorded 4,774 reported crashes, of which 1,098 involved an injury and 7 were fatal. That places Cambridge number 15 of 349 Massachusetts cities and towns by total reported crashes. Cambridge alone accounts for 1.2 percent of every crash reported in the commonwealth over those three years.
Manner of collision is how the vehicles first came together, as the reporting officer recorded it, and by that measure the most common crash in Cambridge is the same-direction sideswipe. Rear-end collisions, where one vehicle runs into the back of another, were 16.7 percent of Cambridge's reported crashes; angle collisions, where vehicles meet because their paths cross, 27.0 percent; and single vehicle crashes, which involve one motor vehicle, 12.5 percent, against 28.1, 23.9 and 22.9 percent statewide. How that mix varies across Massachusetts, and why it moves the injury and fatal rates, is in what kind of crash is most common in each Massachusetts town.
The roads carrying the most reported crashes in Cambridge in the most recent year of data:
- Massachusetts Avenue20 crashes
- Massachusetts Avenue17 crashes
- Cambridge Street12 crashes
These figures are reported crashes, not claims or lawsuits, and a crash appearing in the state record says nothing about who was at fault. Fault in Massachusetts is decided under the comparative negligence rule of M.G.L. c. 231, sec. 85. Full figures for every Massachusetts community are in the Cambridge crash report and the statewide Massachusetts crash report.
Source: MassDOT IMPACT open crash data, 2022 to 2024. Updated monthly.
Courts that serve Cambridge for motorcycle accidents matters
Under M.G.L. c. 218, sec. 1, Cambridge is in the judicial district of the Third District Court of Eastern Middlesex, which also covers Arlington and Belmont. Cambridge is in Middlesex County, so a Superior Court case brought by a Cambridge resident goes to the Middlesex Superior Court.
A District Court civil case can be filed in the district where any party lives or has a usual place of business, or in an adjoining district (M.G.L. c. 223, sec. 2). Where the event happened does not decide it.
| Court | What it hears | District or address |
|---|---|---|
| Third District Court of Eastern Middlesex | Civil claims up to $50,000 | Cambridge, Arlington and Belmont |
| Middlesex Superior Court | Civil claims over $50,000 | 200 Trade Center, Woburn, MA 01801 |
First steps
- Get medical care and keep every record. Cambridge Hospital (CHA) and Mount Auburn Hospital are among the hospitals listed for Cambridge, and the firm requests the records itself once you sign an authorization.
- If a vehicle was involved, file the operator's crash report within five days when anyone was hurt or damage passed $1,000 (M.G.L. c. 90, sec. 26), and keep the police report number.
- Know the court: the Third District Court of Eastern Middlesex hears claims up to $50,000 and the Middlesex Superior Court hears larger ones.
- Call (617) JIM-WINS before you file or appear, so the deadline and the right court are checked against your facts.
Key terms
- Judicial district
- The towns one District Court division serves, as listed in M.G.L. c. 218, sec. 1. The Third District Court of Eastern Middlesex serves Cambridge, Arlington and Belmont.
- Venue
- The county or district where a case may be filed. Massachusetts sets it by where the parties live or work (M.G.L. c. 223, secs. 1 and 2).
Cambridge hospitals where treatment records often originate
If you were seen at one of these facilities, the firm requests your treatment records as part of building the documentary record. You do not need to retrieve them yourself; a signed medical authorization at intake gives the firm the access it needs.
- Cambridge Hospital (CHA) 1493 Cambridge St, Cambridge, MA 02139
- Mount Auburn Hospital 330 Mt Auburn St, Cambridge, MA 02138
The firm requests records from any Massachusetts provider on the medical chain, listed here or not.
Talk to the firm about your motorcycle accident matter
Call us 24/7 for a free case review. Or send us your details and we will reach out to you within one business day.
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Questions Cambridge readers ask most
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Which District Court covers Cambridge?
Under M.G.L. c. 218, sec. 1, Cambridge is in the judicial district of the Third District Court of Eastern Middlesex, which also covers Arlington and Belmont.
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Where does a Superior Court case go from here?
A Superior Court case is filed in the county where one of the parties lives or has a usual place of business (M.G.L. c. 223, sec. 1). For someone who lives in Cambridge, that is Middlesex County, and the Middlesex Superior Court sits at 200 Trade Center, Woburn, MA 01801.
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How many crashes does the state record here?
MassDOT's open crash records list 4,774 reported crashes in Cambridge across 2022 to 2024, of which 1,098 involved an injury and 7 were fatal. A reported crash says nothing about fault, which is decided under M.G.L. c. 231, sec. 85.
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Information on this page is published as legal information, not legal advice. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. Attorney advertising under Mass. R. Prof. C. 7.1 to 7.5. Responsible attorney: Jim Glaser, Massachusetts.